As I was focusing on only Chinese restaurants while I browsed through the list of participating Shanghai restaurants for China Restaurant Week 2017, I spotted a few restaurants that I was keen. Among them was Xian Qiang Fang 鲜墙房, I thought this might be a good choice even though I have no knowledge about them. They have 2 outlets, one at Yong An and the other at Hongqiao. I chose the Xian Qiang Fang @ Yong An, since it is nearer to Pudong.
Xian Qiang Fang serves Shanghainese food, while I am not exposed to this particular Chinese cuisine in Singapore, I was eager to attempt it. I have no idea of who they are and how reputable they are but saw that they was the recipient for the 2nd Best Restaurant award in China Restaurant Week Autumn 2016. As such, I suppose, expectation builds.
I
From the lift to the entrance of Xian Qiang Fang @ Yong An, signs of run-down were everywhere. I braved myself for the worse. It turned out that the interior was classy, elegant, a depict of the Old Shanghai. Immediately, I felt I travelled back to that era where French Concession dominates.
China Restaurant Week – Xian Qiang Fang @ Yong An Menu
Xian Qiang Fang @ Yong An curated a special menu for the China Restaurant Week with 5 dishes for lunch priced at CNY 108 per pax.
Cold Dish
First dish was a cold dish, Fresh Tuna Fish, Vegetables and Nuts Salad with wasabi sauce on side 金枪鱼色拉. Surprised to find raw fish on the plate since we tend to associate such food with the Japanese and the Korean mainly. The sesame dressing over the salad was the most distinct. Overall, it was a pleasant dish.
Hot Dishes
A total of 3 hot dishes was offered on the China Restaurant Week 2017 menu by Xian Qiang Fang @ Yong An. First was the Sauteed minced pork with fresh shrimp in spicy bean paste 八宝辣酱. This dish goes well with rice, since it is a dish extremely strong in flavour. Basically, I don’t savour the flavour of the natural ingredients but solely the sauce. This dish reminds me of the Narcissus brand Minced Pork With Bean Paste.
Second dish was the Deep-fried mandarin fish in sweet and sour sauce 松鼠菊花鱼. I was impressed with the way it was presented. The fish was sliced to resemble a full bloom chrysanthemum flower. Due to the soft, limpy texture of the fish and the thin wedge, I could fully taste the flavour of the fish. In addition, the tomato sauce though appetising since it was extremely flavourful, a pity, it dominated the dish, masking the natural fish flavour entirely. It is a shame.
By the look of the last dish Fried bamboo shoot with crab meat 蟹粉冬笋, I mistaken it as potato. Only at a closer examination of the pieces, I notice it was bamboo shoot instead. The bamboo shoot was not sweet except crunchy. The sauce didn’t elevate the flavour too.
Soup
A soup was included in the menu, Stewed row with mushroom 金耳枸杞炖小排. Though I am not a fan of soup, I thought well of the soup. It was rich in meat flavour with complemented sweetness from the various ingredients.
Rice
And certainly rice was available since it was a Chinese meal. I notice it was short grain rice.
NAHMJ Verdict
Generally, the flavour of the dishes at Xian Qiang Fang @ Yong An overshadowed by the flavours from the sauce. Not only does the sauce dictated the flavours, it actually masked the natural flavours of the main ingredients. I certainly though it was a shame.
Xian Qiang Fang @ Yong An
L4-5,No.600, Jiujiang lu, Huangpu District
黄浦区九江路600号4-5楼 (近浙江中路)
Tel: +86 21 6315 5757 / 6322 2728
Website: http://www.xianqiangfang.com/ch/main.asp
Opening Hours
Daily 1100 to 1400, 1700 to 2200
Getting There
By Subway
- Line 2 and line 10 – East Nanjing Road
By Bus:
- Jiujiang Road-Zhejiang Middle Road stop 九江路浙江中路 20, 37, 49, 167, 330, 805, 921
- Hubei Road-Nanjing East Road stop 湖北路南京东路 14
Rating: 6/10
